Liquid transfer mechanism



Filed NOV. 1', 1938 J m 8 a 4 a w z 3 Q a F a 2 7 a s 7 5 ll 4 a a 1 a M 1 a 1: Q 0 I My Patented Oct. 10, 1939 PATENT OFFICE LIQUID TRANSFER MECHANISM Jacques Muller, La Garenne-Colombes,

France Application November 1, 1938, Serial No. 238,290

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the transfer of liquids, and particularly to portable means for facilitating the transfer of liquid from one container or conduit to another, the portable device to be removed from the liquid receiving tank or container when the latter has been filled. I

The portable filling device of the present invention includes as major features thereof an improved type of check valve, a second valve limiting the filling operation, improved operating means for both said valves, novel means for sealing the opening (bung) through. which the feed pipe of the filling device projects when in position within the tank to be filled, improved operating means for the feed pipe positioning and retaining hooks or claws, and novel means for controlling the venting of the tank during filling.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a portable filling device having the features of improvement above suggested and hereinafter described in greater detail.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing showing one embodiment of the invention. It is to be borne in mind that the drawing and the particular embodiment shown are to be considered merely by way of examples and not as limitative of the scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a central longitudinal sectional view of a device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the two upper valves as they appear during the filling operation; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view of said two upper valves as they appear when automatic cessation of the filling operation occurs.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates the reservoir, tank or container which is desired to be filled to a certain predetermined level. The container is provided with an opening or bung 4 in the upper wall thereof. A feed pipe 8, the end of which is adapted to be inserted through the bung 4 into the container, is fixedly connected at its upper end to a valve casing Ill adapted to house therein a valve I2 secured to a rod IS the reciprocation of which is controlled in part by a float I4 through the intermediary of pivoted link or lever I6. Float I4 slides on the pipe 8 throughwhich the liquid passes, and is in turn enclosed in a chamber I! having communication with the tank 2 under certain conditions; but with the parts in the positions shown in Figure 1 such communication is closed off by reason of the engagement of the vent valve I8 with the valve seat I9 formed on the base 2! of the compartment [1. Toward the upper portion of the compartment I! there is provided an outlet fitting 23 adapted to receive the conduit 24 through which carburetted air may be returned I; to the fluid source or conducted to any other desired location.

The valve casing It may be constructed in any desired manner, but preferably comprises a cylindrical portion 26 extending laterally thereof, and 10. adapted to receive a fitting 21 to which a hose connection may be made to a source of liquid. Within the registering sections 26 and 27, and supported thereby, is a cylindrical valve guide 3| whose outer circular edge 32 forms a seat for a 5. second valve 33 (which may be described as a check valve) adapted to be operated manually through the instrumentality of a hand grip 34 operatively connected to a cam 36 controlling the opening of the check valve 33 through the intermediary of the rod 31 and the plates 38 and 39 secured thereto. The closing of the check valve 33 is brought about by the compression spring 4 I one end of which bears against the plate 38 and the opposite end of which engages the central portion of the transverse wall or partition 43 constituting part of the valve guide 3 I.

A second function of the cam 36 is to cooperate with a bell crank 48 and a torsion spring 49 in the control of the rod I3 heretofore described, the said rod I3 having a flanged end or plate 5I thereon for engagement with the end of the bellcrank 48 (as when the parts are in the position shown in Figure l) the opposite end 54 of the bell crank 48 being constantly urged into contact with the surface of the cam 36 by the action of the torsion spring 49 one end of which abuts the casing 25 and the opposite end of which is operatively connected to the rockshaft 55 by which the bell crank 48 is shifted, the ends of the said rockshaft 55 being suitably journaled to opposite sides of the easing 25.

The novel means for sealing the tank during the filling operation and for simultaneously controlling the opening of vent valve I8 and the action of the pipe positioning and retaining means, includes a manually operable lever 6|, which, through the intermediary of a cam 62 and a lever 63, permits the plate 64 to rise through the effect of the expanding spring 66. The plate 64 is connected by the sleeve 61 and the wrist pin 68 to the rod 69, the lower portion of which is in the form of a block. At the interior of this block are provided two jaws II, I2, oscillatable about the axis of pin I3 for the purpose of alternately opening and closing the said jaws. A pin 16 fixed in the block slides in the inclined mortises l7, 18 of the jaws H, 12, respectively, and its movement upwardly causes the jaws to open. The hooking-on operation thus takes place in two stages: first, the rod 69 carrying the jaws moves upwardly, carrying with it the pin '16 which (as it slides in slots H, 78) opens the jaws, sufiiciently to clear the abutments 8|, 82upward motion of the jaws being meanwhile precluded by said abutments 8| and 82. Secondly, when the pin 16 reaches the end of its stroke in slots 11, 18 it begins to move the jaws upwardly and continues to do so (under the urge of spring 65 acting through sleeve 61 and pin 68) until the jaws engage wall 2 of the container to be filled; and exert an upward pressure on said wall sufiicient to seal parts 2 and 9|, with the aid of plastic sealing element 92. The upward movement of the plate 64 produces, through the flange 94 carried by sleeve 51, the opening of the vent valve I8. This causes the chamber H to communicate with the container to be filled, thus permitting the air contained in the reservoir 2 to escape around valve !8 and into the chamber l1. and conduit 2 During the process of filling reservoir 2, the valves 33 and I2, and associated parts, occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 2.

At the completion of the filling process the liquid rises into the chamber ii, (through openings in pipe 8 and the space below the open valve IE) to lift the fioat l4 and thus bring about a closing of the valve [2 upon its seat I i. The relationship between rod 13 and bell crank 48 will then be as shown in Fig. 3. The attendant will thereafter swing hand lever 34 back to the position indicated in Fig. 1, to permit re-closing of check valve 33 and by the same action lift valve 12 to the normal (open) position, and return float M to its lower position. The jaws ll, 12 may now be retracted by swinging lever EH back to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby simultaneously re-seating vent valve l8 against seat I9, as well as returning the jaws to the position shown. The unit may now be drawn away from the tank 2 and the bung 4 of the latter re-capped.

What is claimed is:

In combination with container gripping jaws movable about a common axis, a compartment to receive air vented from said container when said jaws are in gripping position, a spring abutting said compartment at one end thereof, means normally holding said spring in compress-ed condition, and means responsive to withdrawal of said holding means and the consequent expansion of said spring to establish an air venting path between said container and said compartment, said means further acting to move said gripping jaws to gripping position.

2. In a device for the filling of containers having an opening through one wall thereof, a feed pipe adapted to extend into the container through the opening, means contacting said wall of the container on both sides thereof for holding the pipe and container relatively, a pair of valves controlling the flow through the pipe, means for opening the first of said valves, means operative at a predetermined level in the container for closing only the second of said valves, and means for causing said second valve to open, initially, in response to operation of the means for opening the first valve.

3. In a device for the filling of containers having an opening through one wall thereof, a feed pipe adapted to extend into the container through the opening, means contacting said wall of the container on both sides thereof for holding the pipe and container relatively, a pair of valves controlling the flow through the pipe, means including a manually rotated cam for opening the first of said valves, means operative at a predetermined level in the container for closing only the second of said valves, and means including a cam follower engageable with a part of said second valve, to move said part in valve opening direction only, in response to rotation of said cam.

JACQUES MULLER. 

